On October 9, 2024

NOTES ON GOD’S CHARGE TO THE REMANT CHURCH OF THE LAST DAYS: “REBUILD THAT WALL!” – (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?’

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, ‘Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.’ [Nehemiah prayed]: ‘Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.’

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” – NEHEMIAH 4:1-6, NKJV

KEY TERM: “BUILD!” ‘Banah!’ [וַנִּבְנֶה֙]: “To build, or begin to build; i.e., to rebuild or restore a family, house, or city [in order to] obtain children;’ to surely make repair; to build up the Israel of God; to establish or make permanent.” WEBSTER (1828): “To frame, construct, and raise, as an edifice or fabric of almost any kind, as a house, barn, shop, ship or vessel, a wall, or other structure of art; to unite materials into a regular structure for use or convenience.”

QUOTATION. “‘Imagine yourself as a Living House. God comes in to Rebuild that House.’ At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. ‘You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: But He is building a Palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ― C.S. LEWIS, Mere Christianity, 1952; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution.’ Nehemiah did not answer these fools according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer. God’s people have often been a despised people, but He hears all the slights that are put upon them, and it is their comfort that He does so. Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, else he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. ‘Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it.’” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

This Story is as old as Antiquity itself, beloved: ‘The True Saints of the Living God who desire nothing more than to obey their King are most often assailed not by the Pagans, but by their own Brethren!’ So it was with Nehemiah, the great Jewish leader and royal cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in the 5^th Century BC, and tragically, so it is with the American Church today.

THE CALL. Since the Edifice of Sound Doctrine has been in rapid decline and disarray for at least 50 years or more in America, GOD’S REMANT CHURCH’SROYAL CHARGE is this: ‘To Rebuild and Restore Integrity to God’s House. This begins with the Destruction of all False Doctrines and Conduct, followed by the Reintroduction of Truth and Sound Doctrine in their places.’

Even more specifically, until The Establishment American Church fervently, publicly and loudly disavows and renounces the virulent Christian Nationalism Movement of DONALD TRUMP, acting as America’s Antichrist, He will be forced to severely Judge His own House, before He then moves to the more General Judgment

of the Nations.

“For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or

obey the gospel of God? And if it is difficult for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the godless and the sinner?” – 1 PETER 4:17-18, AMP

FIRST LASHES. Of this terribly timely and now momentous Prophecy, the distinguished English theologian CHARLES ELLICOTT notes: “We who are ‘Chrestiani,’ who bear the Mark of the Christ’s shame upon our foreheads, and are not ashamed of it, are quite Safe in this Judgment … The Argument is: ‘If we, who are the very Household of God, must undergo this searching investigation first, what will happen, as the Judgment nears its Climax, ‘to those those who … obey not?’” – An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

IF! Former President DONALD TRUMP and his Movement represent the Work of Antichrist as I am convinced at this point that they do, then all who adhere to him and his leadership shall very probably Perish, no matter the labels they choose to wear. – cf. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (Seated with Demons); 2 Corinthians 6:14 (Unequally Yoked); Revelation 21:8 (Idolaters and Liars Condemned).

Selah. Selah.

THE MISSION. This is why the APOSTLE JUDE fervently penned the following plea to The Remnant and those Apostatizing in his times, though aimed at these Last Days primarily:

“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting;save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom” (20-23, AMP).

As the noted theologian WILLIAM MACDONALD wisely interprets this passage: “A certain measure of Spiritual Discernment is necessary in dealing with Victims of Apostasy. The Scriptures make: A DISTINCTION between the way we should handle those who are Active Propagandists of False Cults and those who have been Duped by them” (Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, p. 2345; edited).

IN SUM: To those Hard-Core Propagandists (for Trump’s Christian Nationalism) we essentially leave them to their own reckless Rebellion against Christ; they are ‘Self-Condemned’ (James 3:1). But for those Victims of Seduction, there is still ‘Hope’ – ‘though precarious!’

We are to attempt to Rescue the Victims, but not the Leaders and the Perpetrators (including Pastors!).

Selah.

III. LEADERSHIP

I almost put a resounding Question Mark behind that Heading! I mean, ‘What Leadership,’ beloved? Where are they, what are their names, and what efforts have they coordinated with each other for this Mission of Restoration and Rescue? Anybody? Anybody at all.

Crickets.

THE NEED FOR NEHEMIAH’S! While I lament the apparent absence of such valorous men and woman, I also know that the Nature of God would never leave us completely leaderless at such a time. And that therefore He is very likely grooming them for their Last Days Mission even as I type these words. Though we have not yet likely recognized them.

So do I turn to a superb commentary by DR. LOVETT H. WEEMS JR., Senior Consultant and Distinguished Professor for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary, Jackson Mississippi. The title of his piece: “10 LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM NEHEMIAH,” published in Church Leadership, November 14, 2023 (edited).

INTRODUCTION. “While Nehemiah was the leader who first articulated The Vision [for the Restoration of The Walls], the people confirmed the Vision and committed themselves to the task. The gifts of all were required to achieve the Vision. Accomplishing the Vision was not easy. Divisions and hard feelings, combined with outside opposition, made faithfulness very difficult. Yet, Nehemiah and the people persevered faithfully, though not perfectly. Below are SOME LESSONS we might learn from Nehemiah’s leadership example.”

THE CALL. “God has always called leaders. Leaders must hear God’s Calling to lead and respond to that Call. Nehemiah understands his leadership as a Calling from God (Nehemiah 2:12b). Nehemiah listened and came to see the need (1:1-4).”
THE CARE. “Nehemiah listened to the voice of the people. He showed care for their situation. Nehemiah identified with the people. He thought in terms of ‘we’ and ‘us’ (2:17, 20). He came to understand and identify with ‘the trouble we are in’ (2:17).”
THE REALITY. “When Nehemiah said, ‘You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned,’ he was not describing his personal agenda but assessing the common situation faced by all the people. Unless The Reality can be described honestly, Progress is impossible. ‘Nothing is more limiting to a group,’ says Peter Senge, ‘than the inability to talk about the truth.’”
THE VISION. “Nehemiah was always asking God to provide a Vision for him. He understood that a True Vision must come from God. It must be a God-inspired and God-revealed Vision. Only such a Vision is worthy of leadership. The Vision must be: ‘What God has put into my heart’ (2:12). The Vision emerged in the midst of a devastating situation. It would have been easier to give up in despair, but God’s leader always seeks God’s Vision, even in [especially in] difficult times.”
THE PRAYER. “Prayer is the fundamental act for people of God. God’s leaders and God’s people must be in the right place to hear God’s Voice. God can speak to us at any time, but if we are not turning our hearts toward God to seek God’s Guidance, it is more difficult for God’s Vision to reach our hearts. The Prophet Habakkuk climbed into the Tower believing that God had a Vision for him and his people. Habakkuk was willing to wait for the Vision but knew that he needed to put himself in a position to receive it.”
THE SIMPLICITY. “God’s Vision tends to be very simple. People build complicated systems, but God’s Will is often extremely simple. For Nehemiah and his people, the Vision was captured in THREE WORDS: ‘Rebuild The Wall!’ There were many needs, hopes, and dreams of the people, but God’s Vision for the immediate future was captured in rebuilding the wall. Without this Vision, the other needs could not be met.”
THE TEAM. “Nehemiah gained the trust of the people. This permitted him to build a Team that could make the Vision happen. People shared responsibility to accomplish the Goal. No one person, not even Nehemiah, could accomplish this Vision alone. Nehemiah began with a few, then he expanded the Team to include virtually everyone. The people committed themselves to the ‘common good’ (2:18b). The talents of the people were named and used (chapter 3). Different people worked on different sections of The Wall. People were assigned to work closest to their homes.”
THE PURPOSE. “It is easy for people to forget the Purpose behind the Vision even as they work to fulfill it. The Vision was to rebuild the wall, but the wall was not the important part of the vision. The wall was a means to a Larger Purpose. ‘What Nehemiah and his people were really about was Reclaiming their Identity as people of faith.’ What was at stake was not just a wall but indeed their very faith (Chapter 8; 12:27). Nehemiah had to make sure the people were reminded of their Ancient Faith [The Canon!]. Because their task was tied to a Larger Purpose, they put their hearts into their work and were able to complete the task in 52 days (6:15-16). What an amazing feat this was!”
THE PERSEVERANCE. “As they rebuilt The Wall, they were ridiculed and mocked. Their enemies did everything possible to discourage them. They threatened to tell untrue stories about Nehemiah. Nehemiah listened but persisted. ‘Nehemiah knew he was doing a great work’ (6:3) and could not come down from the wall to debate with the enemies. ‘Nehemiah persisted even when adversity came.’ God’s people cannot give up when adversity comes.”
ANOTHER VISION. “When the people work so hard to accomplish a great goal, the temptation is to want to stop and rest. God’s people should stop and celebrate victories, just as Nehemiah and his people did; but God is never finished with us. After we give thanks to God for bringing us to a New Place on our Journey, then we must turn again to God in prayer asking, ‘What, now, is your will for us?’ It is time for Revisioning.”

THE QUESTION. So now to the very painful part, beloved: ‘How is the American Church doing in these regards?’ We will conclude with that assessment.

IV. LAST THOUGHTS: THE POSTMORTEM

In the interests of Dispassionate Objectivity here, I have decided to deploy Two Strategies for assessing the CURRENT CONDITION OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP. First: By doing a Checklist of the Ten Criteria penned by the good Dr. Weems. Second: By consulting a seasoned Pastor-Missionary’s Analysis from the Southern Baptist Convention who breaks it down for us in straight-ahead fashion.

ONE: THE CHECKLIST. I will make this as painless as possible, though neither will I pull any punches. IN SUM: After nearly ten years of the most intense spiritual and academic scrutiny I have ever conducted on such matters, I firmly believe: ‘The American Church is currently a Catastrophic Failure on virtually All Ten of the items on the Checklist.’

Permit me to briefly explain.

I believe that most American Pastors today conduct themselves more as hirelings than men of Godly Vision.

I believe that the American Pastor does not truly love his people, since he is afraid to tell them the true Truth, as Dr. Francis Schaeffer liked to call it, for fear of losing members and tithes.

I believe, similarly, that the American Pastor refuses to recognize the Harsh Reality of a Church in systemic Doctrinal Freefall, thereby compounding their grotesque failure of duty to God and their congregation.

I believe likewise that the American Pastor is not functioning according to the Vision of God, but rather his own vision and design for maintaining his current numbers of attendants in the pews and growing his membership as a primary objective.

I further believe that the American Pastor holds prayer meetings that are become largely perfunctory, not focusing on the True Crisis of the Church and of the Age just outside the doors and windows of the Sanctuary. Thus have our churches become Isolated Retreats from Reality for Members rather than Cities of Refuge for the Hurting.

I believe therefore that the American Pastor has largely become a Businessman-Manager working according to a complex Business Plan rather than a Shepherd of his flocks pursuing what Reinhard Bonnke called “The Simple Gospel of Jesus Christ!”

I also believe the American Pastor has stripped his congregations of their true identity in Christian Truth and Mission by allowing them to rather pursue political objectives of power and prosperity for Christian Hegemony in the Nation.

I believe that the American Pastor does not preach the necessity of Perseverance of the Saints to endure to The End, but rather a watered-down gospel of cheapened, shallow Hyper-Grace.

Finally, I do not believe that the American Pastor cares a whit about ‘The Next Vision’ since he has largely abandoned the present one. His eyes are no longer fixed on preparing his people for The Parousia, but rather how to succeed in this life in this world in the here and now.

TWO: PASTOR’S CRITIQUE. I conclude the Postmortem via an impassioned insider’s take from Pastor-Missionary BUCKY KENNEDY, also past President of the Georgia Baptist Convention from 2008-2009. His commentary is titled, “The Church Leadership Crisis,” published on his Blog, Bucky Kennedy Ministries on May 16, 2024 (edited).

INTRODUCTION. “I started to research the issue, wondering if I was the only one to notice the lack of competent, God-called leaders. By the number of articles I found, and their titles, I concluded that the issue was definitely noticeable. The articles used the word ‘Crisis’ a great deal to describe the growing trend of fewer and fewer church leaders.”

REASONS. “A few articles offered reasons for this Church Leadership Crisis. Some say that churches aren’t intentional in calling out the called. Others say that Bible colleges and seminaries are doing a poor job of preparing and placing students. I’m convinced that many things are contributing to the problem. ‘The main cause, however, could be God’s Judgment.’”

MASCULINITY. “For some time now there’s been an all-out assault on the family, particularly on manhood. Our culture says it okay for women to become men but not for men to be manly. ‘Basic masculine traits are disappearing in our society.’ Too many boys would rather play a sports video game than actually go outside and participate in sports. Their play area is the couch instead of the yard. Does that really matter? Yes! Boys are designed for physical activity, which is a major factor in their socialization.”

GODLINESS. “‘Few young men know what it means to live according to God’s Design and Purpose.’ As a result, godly men are harder and harder to find. And this isn’t the first time. The Psalmist prayed, “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men” (Psalm 12:1).”

CHILDHOOD. “‘Many college campuses are a breeding ground for Progressive Ideology, Woke Thought, and Anti-God Rhetoric.’ Part of the college experience used to be learning a disciplined lifestyle. There were expectations as well as consequences for not meeting those expectations. That whole approach has been eroding throughout the American education system for some time.”

CONCLUSION. “So, if you wonder, ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Maybe the answer is, ‘GOD HAS REMOVED THEM!’ If that’s true, should we just fold our hands and wait for Jesus? No! The First Response to Judgment should be Repentance, followed by a Resolve to live righteously. Honorable and godly men need to mentor and disciple their sons and other young men. That’s how we raise the next generation of Pastors and Church Leadership. The Christian Community has acknowledged the problem [Have they?]. Now THE QUESTION IS: ‘What are we going to do about it?’”

DK’S CODICIL. Beloved, I believe that the good Pastor Kennedy had it right until the very last point, wherein he had it only half right. That is, when he claimed that the Christian Community “has acknowledged the problem,” they have recognized that something is very wrong.

‘But they are unwilling to point to themselves as the Cause of the Crisis!’

Therefore, dear friends, ‘Judgment is unavoidable’ since there is nary a whimper or whisper of Repentance in the Ecclesiastical Air. Only the thunderous Din of Silence concerning Church Sin.

So, it is up to us – God’s Last Days Remnant – to “REBUILD THE WALLS!” The Walls of the Original Gospel and the Ancient Canon. The Walls of our First Love for God and the Return of His Son. And the ‘Magnificent Obsession’ of Pleasing the Father in all that we do, most especially in Reaching the Lost.

‘Before Night comes, when no man can work.’ Selah.

ERRATUM: I made a substantial error on the Date of Rosh Hoshana for some reason. It occurred on Wednesday October 2, not on the 9^th as I had claimed. Perhaps I confused it with the onset of Yom Kippur on Friday October 11. At times I need to just slow down to do my fact checks. Apologies. The Management (DK).

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/wj4CTDUob-M